Tutorials:Simple Meshing for 3D Studio Max Part 1 - Revision history

EllaCharm3d: /* reviewed for grammar and spelling */

2012-10-29T17:05:51Z

‎reviewed for grammar and spelling

Show changes

HugeLunatic: /* Afterword */

2012-09-25T15:07:23Z

‎Afterword

HugeLunatic: /* Export */

2012-09-25T15:07:15Z

‎Export

HugeLunatic: /* Creating a simple mapping */

2012-09-25T15:06:46Z

‎Creating a simple mapping

HugeLunatic: /* Grouping simple objects */

2012-09-25T15:06:21Z

‎Grouping simple objects

HugeLunatic: /* Importing from MilkShape 3D: */

2012-09-25T15:06:01Z

‎Importing from MilkShape 3D:

HugeLunatic: /* Creating Simple Objects */

2012-09-25T15:05:46Z

‎Creating Simple Objects

HugeLunatic: /* Grouping simple objects: */

2012-09-25T15:02:04Z

‎Grouping simple objects:

HugeLunatic: /* Editing that simple mapping: */

2012-09-25T14:44:10Z

‎Editing that simple mapping:

HugeLunatic: /* Editing that simple mapping: */

2012-09-25T14:41:46Z

‎Editing that simple mapping:

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:07, 25 September 2012
Line 373:		Line 373:

	== Afterword ==		== Afterword ==
		+	[[File:Object_Baking_8.jpg\|right\|alt text\|300px]]
	I hope you enjoyed this simple guide and I hope this guide wasn’t too simple for your liking, please feel free to experiment more with texture baking and mapping. 3Ds Max offers an endless amount of options in this area, and I am only still learning the greatness of texture mapping and baking.		I hope you enjoyed this simple guide and I hope this guide wasn’t too simple for your liking, please feel free to experiment more with texture baking and mapping. 3Ds Max offers an endless amount of options in this area, and I am only still learning the greatness of texture mapping and baking.

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:07, 25 September 2012
Line 370:		Line 370:

	[[File:Object_Baking_7.jpg\|right\|alt text\|200px]]		[[File:Object_Baking_7.jpg\|right\|alt text\|200px]]
−	~~[[File:Object_Baking_8.jpg\|right\|alt text\|300px]]~~
	<br clear=all>		<br clear=all>

@@ Line 219: / Line 219: @@
 Be sure to make a saved scene of the progress so far.  Next up is mapping the sides to make a wood grain fit in The Sims 3.
 <br/><br/>
 == Creating a simple mapping ==
@@ Line 252: / Line 254: @@
 <br clear=all>
 == Editing that simple mapping ==
 [[File:Object_Mapping_6.jpg|right|alt text|310px]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:06, 25 September 2012
Line 146:		Line 146:

	Colors may vary, as they are generated randomly when making objects.		Colors may vary, as they are generated randomly when making objects.
		+
		+	<br clear=all>

	== Grouping simple objects ==		== Grouping simple objects ==

@@ Line 42: / Line 42: @@
 [[File:Import_3Ds_Max.jpg|right|210px]]
 The settings are rather simple for this, first of all you don’t need any extra tools for this to work all export option are already included in Milkshape 3D and 3Ds Max. When you have the object loaded into Milkshape 3D you simple do the following: ''“File -> Export -> Wavefront OBJ…”'' and save it to your work folder named something like ''“Cloned_low_Detail_Mesh”''.
 {| class="nicetable" align="left width=600px"

@@ Line 119: / Line 119: @@
 <br clear=all>
-[[File:Make_Object_5.jpg|left|200px]]
+[[File:Make_Object_5.jpg|right|200px]]
-Or you can select you first leg, and press the ''“Shift”'' key while dragging it across the screen to another leg.
+You can select your first leg and press the ''“Shift”'' key while dragging it across the screen to another leg.  Once you release the mouse button a ''“Clone Option”'' menu will pop up, in this menu you need to select the “Copy” to object function and name the object ''“leg_2”''.
 Once you release the mouse button a ''“Clone Option”'' menu will pop up, in this menu you need to select the “Copy” to object function and name the object ''“leg_2”''.
-<br/><br/>
 Rename the one leg you haven’t renamed yet if you cloned them all, or rename them all if you made separate boxes. Then quickly scale them a little bit if needed and also move them a bit. For scaling use the ''“Tools -> Scale”'' menu, it works the same as the move tool. Or find the button on the top tool bar 2 icons over from the move tool to the right.
@@ Line 128: / Line 127: @@
 <br clear=all>
-[[File:Make_Object_6.jpg|right|150px]]<br/>
+[[File:Make_Object_6.jpg|right|150px]]
-I don’t want a center piece like this table with a drawer in it, i want to have 3 boards spread from bottom to top instead. To get this done we are going to start by making a box that is going to make up the same size later as the bottom board the reference object has.
+I don’t want a center piece like this table with a drawer in it, I want to have 3 boards spread from bottom to top instead. To get this done we are going to start by making a box that is going to make up the same size later as the bottom board the reference object has.
 You should be able to do this without help from here on out, so I’m going more into the creating 3 boards out of the one board. You just learned how to drag clone an object making the legs this time we are going to use another tool to make all the copy’s at once at the place we want them to be.
@@ Line 136: / Line 135: @@
 Again select the ''“Copy”'' option and now let’s duplicate this thing around an axis for a set amount of centimeters (in my case). Click the ''“3D Array Dimensions”'' and enter a count of 3 then set a value of ''“0,55”'' on the Z–Axis, now click ''"Preview"'' and watch what happens. If you like what you see click ''“Ok”'' if not fine tune it to your taste and click ''“Ok”''.
 == Grouping simple objects ==

@@ Line 145: / Line 145: @@
-== Grouping simple objects: ==
+== Grouping simple objects ==
-<br/>[[File:Object_Grouping.jpg|right|alt text|250px]]<br/>
+[[File:Object_Grouping.jpg|right|alt text|250px]]
-Now to create a solid object with matching sizes, first we need to take one element and convert it to something workable in this case it’s going to be an element called ''“Editable Polygon”''.
+[[File:Object_Grouping_2.jpg|right|alt text|150px]]
-<br/><br/>
+To create a solid object with matching sizes we need to take one element and convert it to something workable; in this case it’s going to be an element called ''“Editable Polygon”''.
-With this element, or modifier witch ever you want to call it, you can modify the object on the area you want to. And you can merge other objects into your Mesh to create one solid Group/Mesh to export and or texture map.
+With this element, or modifier, you can modify the object on the area you want to. You can merge other objects into your mesh to create one solid Group/Mesh to export or texture map.
-<br/><br/>
 To do this select one object, let’s start with the table top for example. And right click in your active viewport to open a drop down menu, and then select ''“Convert to Editable Poly”'' from it and watch the edit toolbar change. Once you done this rename your object to ''“End_Table”'', and enter the vertex select level.
-<br/>[[File:Object_Grouping_2.jpg|left|alt text|150px]]<br/>
-Select one of the top vertexes and start moving it around to match that side of the reference object, keep selecting and moving around vertexes until you table top is the same size and shape as the reference object.
+<br clear=all>
-<br/><br/>
-We will merge another object to this, once we have the correct size for this object.
+[[File:Move_Vertex.jpg|right|alt text|300px]]<br/>
-<br/>[[File:Move_Vertex.jpg|right|alt text|300px]]<br/>
+Select one of the top vertexes and start moving it around to match that side of the reference object, keep selecting and moving around vertexes until you table top is the same size and shape as the reference object.  We will merge another object to this once we have the correct size for this object.
-Now you only need 2 viewports to make this object the correct size, but feel free to use this stage to test around with the movements in 3Ds Max a bit. As you can see in the screenshot i attached everything and then moved around the geometry.
-<br/><br/>
-I found the movement to be slightly off from most modeling tools i used, i had a few little issues with the perspective viewport but i learned to love the way you move around in 3Ds Max its gives a nice and smooth handling.
+Now you only need 2 viewports to make this object the correct size, but feel free to use this stage to test around with the movements in 3Ds Max a bit. As you can see in the screenshot I attached everything and then moved around the geometry.
-<br/>[[File:Object_Grouping_3.jpg|right|alt text|100px]]<br/>
-Now let’s merge a leg to our table top and make that the correct size.
+I found the movement to be slightly off from most modeling tools I used, I had a few little issues with the perspective viewport but I learned to love the way you move around in 3Ds Max its gives a nice and smooth handling.
-<br/><br/>
-You may have noticed that the reference objects has slightly sloped legs, we are not going to replicate that, and we want the top shape of the legs and nothing else.
+<br clear=all>
-<br/><br/>
 There are 2 ways of making this merge happen, both are done in the objects editable mesh settings under the tab ''“Edit Geometry”'' the options we are looking for is ''“Attach”'' and ''“Attach List”'' (the box behind it).
-<br/><br/>
-The first is selection based you can use a viewport to select the object you want to merge with. The second is based on a list indeed, you get a list of object names and select our leg from that menu to merge with you table top.
+The first is selection based you can use a viewport to select the object you want to merge with. The second is based on a list, you get a list of object names and select our leg from that menu to merge with you table top.
-<br/><br/>
 It’s up to how you merge the leg(s) to your object, proceed with the leg you merge to match the top size of the reference legs.
-<br/>[[File:Object_Grouping_4.jpg|left|alt text|300px]]<br/>
-Once you are done with the one leg, move onto the second leg and rinse and repeat this around for all legs.
+[[File:Object_Grouping_4.jpg|right|alt text|300px]]
-<br/><br/>
+Once you are done with the one leg repeat this around for all legs.
-*'''''Hint''' Is a certain object in your way? Select that object and use the right click menu on an active viewport to use the option “Hide Selection”. The object is now hidden until you unhide it true this same menu.''
-<br/>
 Now you can use the same learned craft to complete the initial object, attach all remaining objects and scale them to size after that, if you did the same as me the next picture will be more or less the same with the reference object hidden.
-<br/>[[File:Object_Grouping_5.jpg|right|alt text|300px]]<br/>
-We are almost done as well with this object we need to prepare it for texture mapping and exporting.
+We are almost done as well with this object we need to prepare it for texture mapping and exporting.  To finish the object we are first going to rename it to ''“Group_01”'' and then we want to add a few extra lines.
-<br><br>
 To finish the object we are first going to rename it to ''“Group_01”'' and then we want to add a few extra lines.
-<br/>
+<br clear=all>
-*'''''Note:''' This next step is not really needed for simple objects with low detail like this one, 3D Studio max has an automated tessellation when using "Editable Mesh" objects. Just for the sake of showing the option i used it in the guide. The object will just work and show up perfectly without it.''
-<br/>
+{| class="nicetable" align="left width=600px"
-As you can see the reference object has some extra diagonal lines in the object.
+|-
-<br/>
+|'''Note:''' This next step is not really needed for simple objects with low detail like this one, 3D Studio max has an automated tessellation when using "Editable Mesh" objects. Just for the sake of showing the option i used it in the guide. The object will just work and show up perfectly without it.
-We are going to do this to, it’s a simple operation called ''“Tessellate”'' and can be found in the ''“Edit Geometry”'' tab.
+|}
-<br/><br/>
 For this option to show up as usable you need to be in ''“Face”'', ''“Element”'' or ''“Polygon”'' selection mode and you need to select all Faces/Elements/Polygons (''"Ctrl+A"'') for it.
-<br/><br/>
 The box behind it is the one we want, depending on your version of 3Ds Max the menu may be different, but option should be the same. Set the same as my screenshot to get a similar end-result.
-<br/><br/>
 The end result should be similar to the following, if you have the same as me move on to the texture mapping part of this guide.
-<br/>[[File:Object_Grouping_6.jpg|center|400px]]<br/>
-Be sure to make a saved scene of the progress so far.
+Be sure to make a saved scene of the progress so far.  Next up is mapping the sides to make a wood grain fit in The Sims 3.
-<br/>
 Next up is mapping the sides to make a wood grain fit in The Sims 3.
 <br/><br/>

@@ Line 230: / Line 230: @@
 <br clear=all>
-== Editing that simple mapping: ==
+== Editing that simple mapping ==
 [[File:Object_Mapping_6.jpg|right|alt text|310px]]
-Then I moved the easy to map areas to the top by the all getting its own part on the texture mapping.
+I moved the easy to map areas to the top by the all getting its own part on the texture mapping.
 The screenshot should show you all option on how to get the arrangement I made.
 Also I moved the legs and sides of the tables to the bottom of the mapping, ill arrange them later to match the wood grains.
@@ Line 245: / Line 245: @@
 |}
 Ok now for the grain alignments, let’s say we have a wood texture with grains going from the top of the map to the bottom.
 For the table top and boards this isn’t a big issue, but for all sides and legs it is.
 If you look at our alignment the feet are currently having the grains from left to right projected, so we need to rotated them 90 degrees to get the pattern to go from top to bottom (read the hint above, don’t worry about moving them outside the texture map).
 Now the sides are a little bit more complicated, the easy way is to select a part of the table top in your 3D viewport, and then looking in the editor how the face is turned.
 When you see the grain is going true that face you need to make the side align the same way.
@@ Line 257: / Line 258: @@
 In the next picture you can see the rotated faces as a reference to how you might want it ''(yes I changed the line colors for this ><)''.
 [[File:Object_Mapping_8.jpg|right|alt text|310px]]<br/>